Overview of GPA 2172/API 14.

5 Revision
Class # 7300
Don Sextro
Sr. Measurement Consultant
Targa Resources
1000 Louisiana, Suite 4300
Houston, Texas USA

Introduction
GPA Standard 2172-09 / API Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards Chapter 14, Section 5, Calculating
Gross Heating Value, Relative Density, Compressibility and Theoretical Hydrocarbon Liquid Content for Natural
Gas Mixtures for Custody Transfer, Third Edition, January 2009 finds wide application in the natural gas gathering
and processing business as well as related natural gas handling activities because it provides methods to
calculate these often-used parameters from a gas analysis. Several important changes occurred in the recent
revision of this standard that became effective January 1, 2009. The main changes comprised in this revision
provide methods for incorporating water vapor into the analysis calculations, include theoretical hydrocarbon
liquid content (GPM) calculations on a real gas basis in this standard, discuss characterizing heavy ends in the
gas analysis as well as other analysis cautions and present a number of detailed example calculations. Refer to
the standard itself for requirements, procedures, details and further explanation.
Affected Audience
The audience includes those involved with gas measurement, analysis and accounting and others who calculate
Btu content from composition. As the method often used by those who produce analysis results or reports from
composition, the changes affect natural gas laboratories, individuals running chromatographs, people involved in
determining gas volume and energy quantities, accountants who rely on the volume and energy amounts as well
as the component theoretical hydrocarbon liquid content and the people involved in the commercial agreements.
This revision of GPA 2172 may affect commercial agreements because the standard is often referenced in
contracts. Implementing this new standard may require programming changes for flow computers, measurement
system software, accounting systems, allocation systems and laboratory reports. It is important for users to
assess the impact of the changes in this standard with respect to their agreements and processes.
Implementation issues are discussed later in this paper.
Publishing and Similar Standards
This standard is jointly published by GPA1 and API2 as Standard 2172-09 and MPMS 14.5. It is similar to AGA3
Report No. 5, Natural Gas Energy Measurement, and to ISO4 6976, Natural gas Calculation of calorific values,
density, relative density and Wobbe index from composition.
Water Vapor
Water vapor is often one of the components in a natural gas stream. When present, water vapor occupies space
in a particular volume of gas. Water, like the other hydrocarbon and inert components, contributes its portion of
an individual property to the total for that property in the sample. Its concentration varies depending on the
presence of liquid water and on the level of compression, addition or extraction of heat and on the extent of
dehydration in the process. If the natural gas is saturated with water vapor, such as when natural gas coexists
with liquid water in a separator, the concentration of water vapor varies in a predictable fashion as a function of
pressure and temperature.
The cost of a quantity of gas is often valued by its energy content, and its energy content can be determined from
the heating value per unit volume of the gas multiplied by the volume of gas delivered. This total energy resulting
from the multiplication of the volume of gas by its heating value per unit volume requires both the volume and the
heating value to be at the same conditions of pressure, temperature and water content. Since the volume of gas
Gas Processors Association, 6526 E. 60th Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74145, www.gpaglobal.org
American Petroleum Institute, 1220 L Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20005, www.api.org
3
American Gas Association, 400 N. Capitol St., NW, Suite 450, Washington, D.C. 20001, www.aga.org
4
International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland,www.iso.org
1
2

changes with base pressure and base temperature, the base temperature and the base pressure must be the
same for both the gas volume and its heating value.
When the flowing stream is water saturated, the total energy delivered can be determined by compensating for
water vapor in the analysis and its subsequent heating value or by volumetrically quantifying and removing the
water vapor present in the flowing stream, but not both. For example, the total energy for a gas volume
containing water vapor (wet volume) requires the wet volume be multiplied by its wet heating value. If the gas
volume is instead compensated by mathematically removing the water vapor, then the dry heating value must be
used to calculate total energy delivered. While it is technically consistent to apply one or the other, GPA 2172-09
only addresses water in the analysis calculations.
A method is included in Annex C of this standard to predict the water vapor content of a natural gas stream when
it is water saturated at conditions other than base conditions using the relationship described in the Institute of
Gas Technology Research Bulletin 8 (IGT RB 8), Equilibrium Moisture Content of Natural Gases. The algorithm
in this Annex can be used to determine the A and B values from IGT RB 8 for gas at flowing pressure and
temperature where the flowing temperature is the water dew point of the gas. GPA 2172 allows for the use of
another appropriate industry standard instead of IGT RB 8. When the gas is partially water saturated, the
concentration of water vapor would be determined by a physical measurement unless otherwise specified by an
agreement or statute.
Heating Value
The gross heating value is calculated from the summation of individual component contributions of heating value
per unit volume of ideal gas, as in the previous version of this standard, at the water content condition of the gas.
Calculate the dry heating value from the relationship
N
Hv id dry x Hv id x Hv id x Hv id x Hv id
1 1
2 2
N N
i i
i 1

The heating value for gas containing water vapor flows from the dry ideal heating value equation through
multiplying by the non-water vapor portion of the composition as follows

Hv id wet 1 xw Hv id dry
The water content is on a basis of dry, saturated at base conditions, or as delivered. Dry gas is often defined to
contain a small amount of water such as using a limit of 7 pounds per million cubic feet. Water saturated gas has
the maximum amount of water vapor that can be held in the gas. Adding any water to the gas would cause an
equal amount to condense. As delivered gas may have an actual condition that is saturated at flowing conditions
or partially water saturated. Partial water saturation means a gas with water content between dry and saturated
conditions.
Heating value reported on a unit volume basis is the energy transferred in an ideal gas reaction per volume of
ideal gas fuel. When divided by compressibility (Z), the heating value provides the energy transferred in an ideal
gas reaction per volume of real gas fuel. GPA 2172-09 introduces the term adjusted heating value, Hvid / Z, which
is the ideal energy content per unit of real gas volume. This heating value, when multiplied by the real volumetric
flow rate produces the ideal energy flow rate.
Refer to GPA 2172-09 for additional details and for the definition of terms related to heating value, relative
density, compressibility and theoretical hydrocarbon liquid content.
Relative Density
Relative density is the ratio of the mass density of the gas at pressure and temperature conditions to the mass
density of air at the same pressure and temperature conditions and is the preferred term to its specific gravity
synonym. Ideal relative density is independent of base pressure. Real relative density however is dependent on
base pressure because the compressibility ratio multiplier in the equation is a function of pressure.

Calculating ideal relative density Gid from composition follows the relationship
N

G id x1G1id x2G2id xNGNid xiGiid

i 1

Since all real gases deviate from the ideal gas law, it is typical for the real relative density to be used in flow
calculations and other calculations. Evaluate the relative density parameter needed in downstream calculations
when selecting the appropriate relative density condition. Real relative density G is calculated from ideal relative
density Gid through multiplying by the ratio of the compressibility of air to the compressibility of the gas mixture as
follows

G G id Za / Z
Compressibility
The compressibility factor, given the symbol Z, is the ratio of the actual volume of a mass of gas to its volume
calculated from the ideal gas laws at the same pressure and temperature conditions. Compressibility is the term
describing the behavior of a real gas as compared to ideal gas at the same conditions.
At pressures near the atmospheric pressure, such as those base pressures used in gas analysis calculations,
GPA 2172-09 provides two methods to calculate compressibility from composition, a simple expression and an
alternative rigorous method. The simple method takes the following form and uses summation factors (bi) from
GPA 2145, Table of Physical Properties for Hydrocarbons and Other Compounds of Interest to the Natural Gas
Industry.

N
Z 1 Pb xi bi

i 1

The alternative rigorous procedure, also referred to as the double summation method or the second virial
coefficient method has the following form and uses second virial coefficients given in Table 3 of the standard.
N

Z 1 BPb where B xi x j Bij

i 1 j 1

Note that volume calculation standards, such as those for orifice, turbine and ultrasonic meters, require the use of
AGA Report No. 8, Compressibility Factors of Natural Gas and Other Related Hydrocarbon Gases to determine
the compressibility factor. A user may choose to implement the AGA Report No. 8 compressibility method in the
analysis calculation or select from the two methods in GPA 2172. Differences in results for the three methods are
within the experimental error of the underlying physical data, and for the composition used in the example
calculations, vary by 0.00003 from the least to the greatest compressibility factor.
Theoretical Hydrocarbon Liquid Content
Plant settlement, allocation and accounting calculations often utilize the theoretical hydrocarbon liquid content of
an unprocessed natural gas stream. In the U.S., theoretical hydrocarbon liquid content is thought of in its units,
gallons per thousand cubic feet (MCF), abbreviated as GPM. A GPM value represents the gallons of a
hydrocarbon component theoretically condensable from the gas stream per thousand standard cubic feet of gas.
In the context of GPA 2172, the gas analysis represents the flowing stream and the GPM values for each
component provide the quantity of liquid theoretically condensable from an MCF of this gas.
GPA 2145 provides the fundamental physical property, the ratio of ideal gas to liquid, for each component in this
calculation. It is seen in FPS units as cubic feet of ideal gas per gallon of liquid. The inverse of this property
would have FPS units of gallons of liquid per cubic feet of ideal gas. The ideal gas portion of this property is at
standard conditions of 14.696 psia in GPA 2145 FPS units and must be adjusted to match the base pressure of
the gas. The form of this equation in FPS units is

LC iid x i 1000

(ft

3
gas ,id

Pb
1

/ gal liquid )i 14.696

Since the gas portion of this ratio of gas to liquid has ideal gas conditions, it must be adjusted by the
compressibility factor Z to arrive at cubic feet of real gas per gallon of liquid. Dividing GPM by Z results in gallons
of a component per thousand cubic feet of real gas, which can then be applied consistently to a real volume of
natural gas. If the flowing stream is not dry, the water content affects the theoretical hydrocarbon liquid content.

LCi

LCiid
GPM iid
so, GPM i
Z
Z

Analysis Issues, Cautions and Decisions

Chromatographs normally do not detect or quantify the concentration of water vapor in a gas sample, so the
amount of water vapor would typically be calculated from pressure and temperature conditions if the gas is water
saturated or it would be measured through a physical test. Sampling and analysis must conform to applicable
GPA and API standards or their equivalents.
It is important to include all components in the sample analysis and to use them in the resulting calculation,
especially for those components with concentrations greater than or equal to 0.01 mole percent. The actual
precision of the analysis results, of course, are governed by the detectability limits of the chromatograph and the
analysis standard. Excluding one or more components, such as helium, oxygen, water vapor or hydrogen sulfide,
from the analysis may adversely affect the calculated results including the heating value, relative density,
compressibility and theoretical hydrocarbon liquid content. Usually, the analysis calculation assigns no heating
value to the hydrogen sulfide component when present in the stream because it is a contaminant and is removed
during processing and thus does not contribute to the energy content of the processed stream. Water vapor
when present in the gas stream also does not contribute to the heating value and thus is assigned no heating
value.
Physical properties for the components in the analysis calculations are found in the latest publication of GPA
2145. If the analysis includes a component not listed in GPA 2145, then refer to GPA TP-17, Table of Physical
Properties of Hydrocarbons for Extended Analysis of Natural Gases, for the properties.
GPA 2172 provides a set of methodologies to characterize the heaviest hydrocarbon component in the analysis
when that grouping includes the concentration of a component of that carbon number as well as the higher carbon
numbers. A typical gas analysis rolls up the hexanes and heavier components, termed C6+, into a single pseudo
component. Characterizing this last or heavy end component should use the most representative data available
and, according to GPA 2172, result from an extended analysis or be generalized through an engineering
evaluation or as agreed upon between the parties involved. While many gas analysis reports use C6+ as the
heaviest reported component, others may use heptanes and heavier, C7+, nonanes and heavier, C9+, or another
grouping.
It is technically consistent to apply the heating value and the theoretical hydrocarbon liquid content results from a
wet analysis to a wet volume or from a dry analysis to a dry volume, but the same conditions of pressure base,
temperature base and water content are required for both the analysis results and the volume.
Example Calculations
This revision of the standard includes several informative annexes containing numerous detailed calculation
examples starting from a gas composition in mole percent that includes common inert compounds and
hydrocarbons through hexanes plus. Users can check and validate programmed and user-calculated results
against the intermediate and final results in these examples.
The examples include calculations for dry gas, for water saturated gas at base conditions, for water saturated gas
flowing conditions, and for partially water saturated gas using measured water content. In U.S. customary FPS
units, the calculations provided are at base conditions of 60 F for temperature and both 14.696 psia and 14.65
psia for base pressure. Since the physical property values are published at the 14.696 psia pressure base, the
examples at this condition should be helpful to users in building a spreadsheet calculation method and in
developing a computer program. The commonly used 14.65 psia base pressure in the examples give check
points for adjusting to a different pressure base. There is an example for a calculation using SI units at the base
conditions of 15 C and 101.325 kPa. Two examples of hexanes plus property calculations are given, one for a

60%30%10% normal hexane, normal heptane and normal octane composition and one for a 47%36%17%
split. An example of calculating compressibility via the rigorous or double-summation method is also given.
An annex is included in this version of GPA 2172 that provides water content example calculations such as
conversions from dry to water saturated heating value and from water saturated to dry at various base pressures
for a base temperature of 60 F. The calculation uses the vapor pressure of water at this temperature to
determine the fraction of water vapor in the gas at base pressure. This results in the commonly used 0.9825
conversion multiplier to determine the water saturated heating value at 14.65 psia from the dry heating value.
The non-rigorous conversion of a dry heating value to partially water saturated and from partially water saturated
to dry is explained with equations and examples and provides a table of the molar volume of water vapor at 60 F
at four common base pressures.
Additional calculation examples display results for calculating energy content given composition and starting from
liquid mass, from liquid volume and from gas volume. Lastly, there is a detailed example for determining gas
energy content per unit mass from composition.
Implementation
GPA 2172-09 was published with a two-year implementation period to provide time for users to implement the
changes. The inclusion of water vapor mole percentages in the analysis calculations likely will involve changes at
laboratories and for the users of analysis reports.
An approach to the implementation decision is to consider the amount of water in the measured streams. If the
streams are at relatively high pressure or are dehydrated, it may be easier to implement through determining the
amount of water vapor in the volume because the affect of water vapor on the gas relative density and theoretical
hydrocarbon liquid content could be minimal.
If the amount of water vapor in the streams under consideration is significant to the analysis such as could be the
case with un-dehydrated gas at low pressure, the gas relative density and theoretical hydrocarbon liquid content
would be affected and the compressibility at base conditions may be impacted by ignoring water vapor in the gas
analysis. In this case, the gas relative density that includes the relative density contribution of water vapor would
apply to the volume calculation, so it is likely that a wet analysis calculation will be required in any event. The wet
volume could be adjusted to compensate for the amount of water vapor in the stream and the resulting dry
volume paired with the dry heating value. Consider the impact of the water content on the theoretical
hydrocarbon liquid content in the scenario of dry volume and dry analysis as compared to wet volume and wet
analysis in making the implementation decision.
When implementing the wet analysis approach, a decision will be required regarding the pressure and
temperature conditions at which the water content will be determined, such as those at sampling time or using an
average over the measurement period. The measurement period could include monthly, daily or hourly
determinations. If the stream is wet but not water saturated, the amount of water vapor could be measured using
available industry techniques such as determining the water dew point via a chilled mirror method or by using a
length of stain tube. Alternately, if it is possible to predict the percentage of saturation, the water content could be
determined by calculation from pressure, temperature and the degree of saturation. Increased water vapor
measurement activities may be required.
There are several ways to calculate the compressibility at base conditions that is used in an analysis report
including the two methods described in this standard and the AGA Report No. 8 method required in volume
calculations. The GPA 2172 methods are simpler to implement in a spreadsheet calculation or a computer
program than AGA Report No. 8, but the AGA method is required in the volume calculation that is often paired
with the analysis results later in the accounting process.
This revision supersedes previous editions of GPA Standard 2172 / API MPMS Chapter 14.5, "Calculation of
Gross Heating Value, Relative Density and Compressibility Factor for Natural Gas Mixtures from Compositional
Analysis" and it incorporates and supersedes GPA Reference Bulletin 181, "Tentative Reference Bulletin Heating
Value as a Basis for Custody Transfer of Natural Gas." It also supersedes the GPM calculations in GPA Standard
2261, Analysis for Natural Gas & Similar Gaseous Mixtures by Gas Chromatography and GPA Standard 2286,
Tentative Method of Extended Analysis for Natural Gas & Similar Gaseous Mixtures by Temperature
Programmed Gas Chromatography as well as Table IV of GPA Standard 2261. Expect revisions to GPA 2261
and 2286 to address these changes.

In the Future
AGA and ISO publish standards similar to GPA 2172. As standards undergo periodic review and are updated to
address changes in technology and practices, an opportunity arises to combine efforts with these standards
developing organizations to provide a single overarching standard. This has the advantage of focusing the
diminishing availability of technical experts on a consensus document that meets the needs of all interested in
heating value and the other properties determined in this and the related standards. On the other hand,
properties like theoretical hydrocarbon liquid content and Wobbe index apply to subsets of the user community for
an overarching standard and may overly complicate the work of developing a combined standard. Work is
underway to evaluate the differences in the standards and the harmonization opportunities available.